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Mobile SEO

Is your website crying out for a makeover? When was the last time you updated the content? It’s very important to remove outdated gimmicks from your site that the internet community became tired of long ago. It also helps to keep content fresh so that every time visitors use your site they find something new. Below are some of the key warning signs that your site needs a makeover.

Fancy Intro
At one time animated intros using Flash were considered tech savvy but eventually the technique was widely abandoned due to slow loading time and compatibility issues. Users now expect to find information quickly and if they don’t they’re on to the next site.

Too Much Clutter
Every web page should have valuable inspiring content but it’s also important not to overdo it with either too much information or too many interruptive ads or different messages on one page. Each page should be built on a solid theme of keywords without keyword stuffing.

Like a Brochure
Big photos can slow a site down tremendously, which is why it’s better to use background colors as an alternative. While a brochure is like a brief overview of a company, a website should be more of a comprehensive information center.

Missing Calls to Action
The great thing about social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn is that they give you chances to engage with your following in real time. They also provide buttons that you can put on your website as links to your social media profiles, creating powerful calls to action.

Slow Loading Time
If your site takes longer than 20 seconds to load then you will definitely lose a lot of potential business. Even 5 seconds is pretty long for internet users. By eliminating big graphics and unnecessary coding, you can speed up your site.

Not Optimized for Mobile
Since mobile devices have become popular as social media tools and resources for searching local establishments, it’s a good idea to optimize your site for mobile, especially if you run a brick and mortar business.

Sangeeta Kumar is the Vice President of Web Marketing for GMR Web Team, a global online marketing, strategy, development and maintenance agency. Sangeeta is a jack-of-all-trades kinda person in the world of Internet marketing, excelling in market research to come up with a strategy based on the latest trends to get a website on page 1. She knows her stuff and enjoys a good discussion on SEO anywhere, anytime.Google +

I’m sure you’ve heard the news – it is Facebook after all – that Facebook has acquired Glancee for an undisclosed amount of moolah. Speculation is still stirring on what they plan to do with the ‘friendly stalking’ app, but it’s quite simple. And while Instagram was purchased because its popularity and skyrocketing user base was starting to scare the social networking giant, Glancee has been gliding relatively under the radar since its inception in 2010. Let’s take a look at some numbers…

Facebook = over 840 million users

Instagram = over 35 million users

Foursquare = over 10 million users

Glancee = over 20 thousand users

Facebook vs. Instagram vs. Google+

By acquiring Instagram, Facebook eliminated its largest mobile competitor for photo sharing. Since one of the cardinal reasons people use Facebook is to share photos and creep on others’ albums (I didn’t just say that…), it only makes sense that it would buy its main competitor in that arena before it was too late.

Although Google bought photo editing site Picnik back in March of 2010, it has just recently fully integrated it with Google+. Now, while Facebook is still unclear on what they ultimately plan to do with Instagram, here is what I’m guessing.

Add photo editing (lens adding) options to photos when you upload them to Facebook.

Make Facebook the default sharing option for Instagram.

Create overall seamless integration between the two networks so that people can easily connect with and navigate between them and thereby have all social networking (Like, Share, Comment, etc.) and photo sharing options in one convenient location.

If Facebook ends up doing these, they will essentially be eliminating the need for anyone to go on Google+, because most of what people do on social networks will be available in one place. Granted this is not counting the obvious search engine optimization and social media optimization requirements that will motivate businesses to maintain Google+ activity, but it is definitely important to note.

Oh, and for those who still believe Google+ is going to somehow take off and one day overturn its dictatorial adversary, here’s another thought. While it’s fun hanging out on Google+ and all, can anyone say Facebook-Skype integration five times fast?

Facebook vs. Foursquare

Okay this isn’t as epic as Facebook vs. Google, but this is where Glancee comes into play. With Foursquare, you need to check in to different places to earn points, win awards and ultimately become mayor of that location. With Glancee, however – the ‘friendly stalking’ app – you don’t need to check into anywhere. Instead, while you don’t even realize it (Facebook Privacy issues, anyone?), Glancee finds people with similar interests in your area based on Facebook and Twitter profiles and let’s you know who’s around.

Not only is Facebook making a clear statement of its intent to improve both its strength and reach in the mobile world via the acquisitions of Instagram and Glancee, but it’s also looking to reverse the downfall of Facebook Places and ultimately become the most relevant mobile app for connecting similar people in similar locations. There is no word on whether or not Facebook will include a points system based on ‘check-ins’, but regardless – this is a major step for the social media gargantuan to corner the mobile market and truly be the all-inclusive social network, a statement that seemed practically impossible two years ago.

Ajay Prasad is the Founder and President of GMR Web Team, a leading healthcare digital marketing agency. He guides small and medium size healthcare practices/businesses in customizing their online marketing strategy, focused on building a loyal base of patients and improving their patient acquisition. Ajay believes in an improved patient experience as the key to successful healthcare business, which can be accomplished with the right marketing plan in place.

Desktop web browsers are fast and powerful. Their mobile counterparts, on the other hand, are generally less equipped (although they are speeding up everyday it seems). So it is paramount to remember that mobile-friendly websites need to be simple and efficient.

This can be achieved in several ways. First, when creating a mobile-friendly website, be sure to eliminate, or greatly limit, the number of images that are on the site. The screen resolution for most computer monitors is many times greater than that of a cell phone’s screen. Depending on how the mobile browser works, this might force the user to scroll sideways through pages. In that case, large images will make scrolling a cumbersome task. Otherwise, the browser may shrink the page to the width of the screen, which will create fuzzy or misshaped images.

In addition, note that mobile browsers may have a hard time processing certain technologies like Flash and Javascript. Both of these elements add functionality and depth to the online experience and they may seem like a hassle to remove. However, there are huge benefits to using basic HTML and limiting the amount of images and advanced forms of website code, namely speed and usability. And with websites, whether being viewed from a computer or mobile phone, its all about decreasing the bounce rate.

By concentrating on text, pages will load quicker and the user will be able to get the information they want without compromising bandwidth usage. Also, avoiding Flash and Javascript will cater to all types of mobile browsers. Every person will be able to view the web page, not just the ones who can utilize such technologies.

Catering to mobile and non-mobile crowds is not a hassle. It only requires some awareness and knowledge of the target market (and their behaviors). In the end, both the growing mobile base and website hosts will be much better off because users will be able to access what they desire and hosts will get the viewers they need.

Sangeeta Kumar is the Vice President of Web Marketing for GMR Web Team, a global online marketing, strategy, development and maintenance agency. Sangeeta is a jack-of-all-trades kinda person in the world of Internet marketing, excelling in market research to come up with a strategy based on the latest trends to get a website on page 1. She knows her stuff and enjoys a good discussion on SEO anywhere, anytime.Google +